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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25407691">Plains and Pain</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxetia/pseuds/sxetia'>sxetia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Heiress to the Monado [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Xenoblade Chronicles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AU, Gen, Grief, Roleswap, fiora is the heir to the monado, implied combat, referenced character death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:33:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25407691</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sxetia/pseuds/sxetia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In Sharla, Fiora sees all she is and all she wishes she could be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fiora &amp; Reyn (Xenoblade Chronicles), Sharla &amp; Fiora (Xenoblade Chronicles), Sharla &amp; Reyn (Xenoblade Chronicles)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Heiress to the Monado [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Plains and Pain</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Fiora saw so much of herself in Sharla. </p>
<p>The concern beyond her stolid gaze, watchful and protective of all that she held dear, and the initiative she took to protect it — knowing full well that she may have had to trade her life for others’ own, in a state of serenity with how she accepted this compromise. The grief; thick as mud and up to her knees, but with strength potent enough to wade through it and find the light. </p>
<p>When they spoke Fiora felt inklings of jealousy, pangs of regret, little burns of self-criticism creeping up her throat before plummeting back down into her lungs. Sharla had been defending her people for the entirety of her life, having had a firm enough grasp on her personal integrity since childhood to know that dedicating herself to the Defense Force was what she wanted to do with her life. </p>
<p>Fiora’s dreams of defending Colony 9 had been crushed and shied away as soon as Dunban had gotten injured, too skittish to risk the same fate and too possessive to let anybody else take care of him — yet Sharla trusted Juju’s care to the rest of Colony 6 and pressed on with her purpose even after watching people she knew and love die on an almost daily basis. The Mechon was merely a relatively recent scourge for Fiora. For Sharla, her hate and the sorrow that it swam in were eternal. </p>
<p>“Do you ever miss him?” Fiora asked, hesitant and pensive as she stared at the smoldering coals of the campfire. </p>
<p>“Whom...?” Sharla’s eyes departed from the bolt of her rifle, taut muscle relaxing as she released the spring to close its chamber. It took a few seconds for the realization to hit her, and the pain of loss washed over Sharla in waves. She had almost managed to forget; <i>almost.</i> </p>
<p>“Oh... Well, of course I do. Every second of every day, if my mind’s where it needs to be. But it’s like a weight — the more you carry it, the stronger you get, and the less of a burden it becomes.” She smiled wearily. “Muscle takes time to develop, though... and isn’t without aches and sores.” </p>
<p>“Mm,” Fiora acknowledged, arm hooked through the Monado’s center as she rested her chin on the backside of its blade. Sometimes it ached so much that she wanted to drop it, let go of the weight, and give up. </p>
<p>But the voice inside said <i>no.</i> Her hate burned ten times as strong as the fire that warmed her bones.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The Bionis’ Leg is vast and infinite, lush expanses of green matching with crashing waterfalls and wide-open skies. Reyn rushed on ahead, enthused with the sights of a locale he’s never even <i>dreamed</i> of visiting before. “I never even <i>seen</i> no monsta’s like ‘ese before...! Whaddya call this one, then, eh Sharla...?” </p>
<p>Sharla laughed and tugged on her rifle’s sling as she began to jog after Reyn, calling out after him with an amused exasperation in her voice. “That’s an Ardun, Reyn...! Be careful, though, those can be dangerous if you don’t know how to handle them...” </p>
<p>“Oh, bollocks, it ain’t nothin’ Reyn can’t handle.” He threw a look over his shoulder and broke out into the dopiest grin either of the girls had ever laid their eyes on, before strapping his driver to his arm. And with that, he was off, charging his adversary with a war cry bellowing from his lungs and echoing off the stark surface of the plains. </p>
<p><i>”Reyn...!</i> Is this <i>really</i> necessary...?” Sharla asked before sighing, shouldering her rifle and racking the bolt once more. </p>
<p>“Think he’s trying to impress you,” Fiora said with a laugh, left hand curling around the scabbard that slung the Monado across her back. </p>
<p>Sharla grunted. “It <i>isn’t</i> working...” She took off after Reyn and, after a moment’s hesitation, Fiora joined her. </p>
<p>There was pain — pain in excess, pain she never knew she could feel — but also joy, and reprieve, and the strength necessary to carry that pain. There was a place where they all belonged, and a future where they could find peace.</p>
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